Graph analytics is a way of facilitating guided graph exploration through visual and interactive means. Unlike many graph visualization research efforts that focus predominantly on layout algorithms and rendering techniques, graph analytics research strives to provide an engaging interactive journey that bridges the gap from data to information to knowledge. Graph visualization still plays an important role in building this analytical journey, as do database querying, graph mining, interactive interrogation, human judgment and senses.
Two primary schools of thought have developed when designing graph analytics tools: top-down and bottom-up. The top-down approach often provides an initial full view of the entire dataset and then gradually reaches out to the local details. The bottom-up approach frequently starts with seed nodes or a subset of nodes, and then builds the rest of the graph through associations. These graph analytics tools are suited to different tasks or goals.
This disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for creating graphical representations of data sets. In some embodiments described herein, methods and apparatus are directed to a working graph analytics model which exploits vast middle-ground information which may be overlooked by the two above-mentioned analytical approaches. Other embodiments are also disclosed herein.